Slide-gate valve



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

' R. HUGHES.

I SLIDE GATE VALVE. I No. 466,350. Patented'Jan. 5, 1892.

LL- L- MaW' (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

R HUGHES. SLIDE GATE VALVE.

No. 466,350. Patented Ja, n.'5, 1892.

WITNESSES:

several figures therein.

* i UNITED STATES PATENT- OFF-ICE.

ROBERT HUGHES, OF \VATERFORD,ASSIGNOR wTO OHN KNICKERBAOKER,

' OF TROY, NEW YORK.-

'SLlDE-GATE. VALVE- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.466,350, dated January 5, 1892.

Application filed March 24, 1890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT HUGHES, a citi-- zen of the United States,residing at Waterford, county of Saratoga and State of New York, haveinve'ntedcertain new and useful Improvements in Slide-Gate Valves, ofwhich the following is a specification. I Myinvention relates to suchimprovements; and it consists of the novel construction and combinationof parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and theletters ofreference marked thereon, which form a partof this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the My present inventionembodies certain improvements upon the valve shown anddescribed inUnited States Letters Patent No. 387,164, issued to me July 31, 1888, towhich patent reference may be had.

Figure 1 of the drawings forming a part of the following specificationis a central vertical section of'the valve, showing the slidegates in aclosed position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the gate-carrier, one ofthe gates and the gate-seating plunger detached from the other parts andshown in their relative positions for use. Fig. 3 is an edge View of theplunger detached. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the carrier" detached.Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively edge and side views of one of thegate-seating blocks, convex or rounded on one side and beveled orwedge-shaped on the opposite side, detached. Fig. 7 is a centralhorizontal section of the block, taken on the broken line 7 7 in Figs. 5and 6.

- A is the valve-case, having the upper gatechamber A and the cap Adetachable by removing the screwbolts A The chamber opens upwardlythrough sleeve A on the cap. The sleeve is exteriorly threaded toreceive the stuifing-nut- A The valve-stern A screwthreaded at its lowerend, as indicated, and rotary in the sleeve and nut, is provided on itseXteriorly-projecting end with an operating-handle A The stem is alsoprovided with a collarA fixed thereon between the cap and sleeve toprevent any longitudinal movement of the stem. The lower part of thecase is profrom the backs of the gates, the studs on the fierial No.345.085. (N0 model.)

vided with the oppositely-located pipe openings A together forming astraightway passagetransverselythroughthevalve. Theslidegates'B in theusual form of disk-valves are adapted to be forced against seats formedon theinner surface of the case-walls surrounding the passage-Way. Theslide-gates are moved to and from the passage-Way openings bymeans of astem-actuated carrier 0, having a nut C interiorly threaded to fitthethreaded portion of the stem. The carrier is provided with a pair ofoppositely-located depending bifurcate arms 0 having in their outersides recesses 0 adapted to receive the studs B, projecting respectivegates entering the recesses from opposite sides of the carrier, asindicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. Thelower ends of the bifurcatecarrier-arms are each provided with an interiorly-projecting flange Oadapted to engage with and carry the plunger D when idle. The plunger isprovided'with a central aperture, permitting the valve-stem to passthrough it, a Wedge-shaped head D adapted to loosely fit the spacebetween the carrier-arms, a narrower body part D movable in thespacebetween the flanges 0 and the legs D adapted to engage with the bottomof the valve-case to seat the gates by means of the seating-blocks F.The lower end 0 of the carrier between the arms 0 is wedge-shapedtolcorrespond in form with the formof the plunger-head. Theseating-blocks are wedge-shaped on one side'F' and convexed 85 on theopposite side F The seating-blocks are adapted each to fit the chamberformed between the carrier and plunger-head onone sideand one of thegates on the. other side, one of the inclined surfaces of the blockresting upon the inclined surface of the carrier and the other upon theinclinedsurface of the I plunger-head, while the conve'xed side iscontiguous to the back of the gate, and adapted to engage therewith whenthe plunger-head is forced into closeproximity to the wedge-' shapedportionof the carrier. It is obvious] from an inspection of Fig. lthatif the screwstem is turned in the direction to force the stem-nut andcarrier downward while the feet of the seating-plunger rest upon thebottom of the valve the inclines of the carrier and plunger, slidingupon theinclincs of the seating blocks, will force the latter outwardagainst the gates and securely seat them; also, that if the stem isturned in the opposite direction the carrier will be moved upward andits wedge-shaped portion drawn away from the bearing-blocks, thusreducing the pressure exerted through them upon the gates to seat themuntil the latter are released and carried up into the chamber A, openingthe passage-way. By having a single convexed seating-block for each gatethe seating-pressure is always equally distributed over the whole seat,whereas in the valve described in my former patent, No. 387,164, if theblocks didered in size, the pressure was unequally distributed throughthe two blocks and the gate insecurely seated. The universal rockingmovement is not, however, necessary, it being essential only that theblocks be so convexed or rounded as to permit a rocking movement in oneplane.

By providing the carrier with the open or bifurcate flanged arms 0 I caneasily insert and remove the plunger for cleaning or repairs, and lessaccuracy is required in fitting the parts.

In the valve shown in my said patent, No. 387,164, the back of each gatehas at its middle part a single stud or trunnion adapted to enter andfit a recess in the carrier. The studs projected from the gate-backs ina direction such that if they were produced sulficiently they wouldintersect the pathway of the stem within the carrier, which necessarilymade the stud-supporting recess very shallow and the studs short afterallowing the necessary space for the stem-pathway between them. Byhaving two studs on the back of each gate and corresponding recesses onthe outersideot the depending arms 0 the studs in entering the recessesmove in lines parallel to each other, and which, if produced, would passalong opposite sides of the stem-pathway and inclose the same, so thatthe studs may enter a common recess inthe carrierarms and be made longenough to meet each other without interfering with the stem-pathway. Iam thus able to make the studs longer than in the older construction byone-half the diameter of the stem, thereby insuring in all casessuflicient length of the studs withbut a special exactness or nicety infinishing, the ordinary method of casting being found sufficientlyaccurate.

It will be observed in Fig. 2 that the gatestuds fit quite loosely inthe recesses 0 which construction enables me to continue the downwardmovement of the carrier to tightly seat the gates without forcing thegates to accompany the carrier and slide on their seats whilenndertheseating pressure. Thesameamount of independent upward movementis also permitted to reduce the seating-pressure before a slidingmovement is communicated to the gates.

The pitch or degree of inclination on the dillz'erent wedge-shaped partsmay be varied, as desired, and the plunger or the carrier only may bewedge-shaped, the contiguous sides of the convexed seating-blocks beingmade to conform to the desired modifications in form of the carrier orplunger.

The gate-carrier is operated by the stem through nut and screwconnections, as shown, or in any known manner.

It should be borne in mind that my present construction not onlysimplifies and reduces the cost of construction by reducing the numberof seating-blocks and actuating stops or plungers, but greater accuracyand certainty of operation are secured. A slight variation or inaccuracyin the size of the parts and accumulated deposit in the bottom of thevalve-casedo not affect the seating of valves operated by onecontact-block actuated by a single seating stop or plunger. The use of asingle gate-seating plunger with a pair of gate-seating blocks on twoopposite sides of the plunger enables me to easily and quickly insertthe plunger in an accessible and detachable position betweensupportingflanges upon arms depending from the carrier, therebyrendering the wearing parts easily accessible for repairs or changing.

I do not broadly claim the combination of seating-blocks andactuating-plungers, but in combination the mechanism for cheaplyandconveniently supporting and operating such parts, as herein set forth.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. Ina slide-gate valve, the combination, with the inclosing case, of acarrier-stem projecting exteriorly of the case, slide-gates, astem-supported gate-carrier having a pair of depending bifurcate arms,apair of gate-supports for each gate on the depending bifurcate arms,located on opposite sides of and inclosin g the stem-pathway,introverted plunger-supporting flanges on the lower ends of the arms, agate-seating plunger adapted to be inserted laterally between thebifurcate flanged carrier-arms and be supported thereby, and agate-seating block on each of two opposite sides of the plunger, eachengageable on one side with the plunger and on the other side with thecentral portion of one of the gates, substantially as described.

2. In a slide gate valve, the combination, with the inclosing case, of acarrier-stem projecting exteriorly of the case, slide-gates, a stemsupported gatecarrier, a single gateseating plunger, and a single gateseating block on each of two opposite sides of the plunger between theplunger and the central part of. the gate, having a rounded gateengagingsurface, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of March,1890.

ROBERT HUGHES.

WVitnesses:

CHARLES H. COLE, THOMAS MULHERN.

